So why aren’t we all on CR diets? For the same reason that rich countries face an epidemic of obesity: we now live in a time of plentiful food, and we have not evolved to be abstemious. Moreover, caloric restriction is not without its drawbacks. It can slow down wound healing, make you more prone to infection, and cause you to lose muscle mass, all serious problems in old age. Among its other reported downsides are a feeling of being cold due to reduced body temperature, and a loss of libido. And, of course, a side effect that to most readers will seem blindingly obvious: people on calorically
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